Author Archives: Gene Graham

It’s an annoying problem that we all struggle with: when we get out of the shower there is a puddle on the floor due to water splashing out over the bath.

Not only does this make the bathroom floor wet and unpleasant. It also can cause damage to the floor, and increase the likelihood of mould over time. Or even cause an accident or personal injury.

So what can we do to prevent water from sloshing out of the shower and onto the floor?

It is important to find a remedy for this problem, or you will find your shower floors damaged, your bath mat constantly soaked and your feet always wet after a shower.

Bath shower screens are the solution.

So What’s the Solution?

The good news is, that there is a beautiful solution to this annoying problem.

Bath shower screens are the answer, as they are simple and elegant. They are a lot more effective at keeping your floors dry than vinyl curtains, which can cause a good amount of water to leak out of the shower and damage the bathroom floor.

These shower screens are sleek fixed-glass barriers that sit on top of the bath and can even be designed with a rounded corner to give them a more pleasant aesthetic finish.

They are ideal for bathrooms with a shower over a bath and they will keep your floors perfectly dry. Not only does the screen keep the water contained within the shower where it belongs. It also adds to the overall style of your decor.

You’ll love the way the sleek design looks in your bathroom.

For example, a great option would be a bifold shower screen for the bath. Which hinge on the wall and glass to glass. This style of shower screen can easily fold back into the wall. And can be moved out of the way. If you are bathing children, cleaning, or at any other time, it is not needed.

This is a very practical solution that gives you the advantages of a glass shower screen. As well as the flexibility and ease of movement of not having one.

These types of glass shower screens can be hinged at the wall and or hinged in between the panels of glass like a bi-fold door. There are many design options to choose from. So you can find the bath shower screen that best fits your bathroom decor.

It is even possible to choose from a range of different metal finishes for the screen’s fixtures; think burnished nickel, gold, black chrome or any other type of finish.

A Light and Spacious Bathroom

Another advantage of this type of glass bath shower screen is that it will provide more light within the tub area than a vinyl or fabric curtain system.

This is especially helpful in bathrooms that are small. As it will help you to make the most of the space.

Plus, these types of designs will save you so much time when it comes to bathroom maintenance and cleaning. The frameless design will be easier to clean as there will be fewer small cracks. And crevices for soap scum and mould to collect.

Plus, when you are selling your home in Melbourne it will increase the value and look so much more appealing than a tatty old shower curtain.

When you’re looking to install or repair a frameless shower screen in Hoppers Crossing or nearby suburbs, you have several options for fastening the glass panels to the floor, wall, and ceiling.

Typically, silicone has been used as a fastener to join and seal the shower screens in your bathroom.

However, in a shower, the constant running water has a habit of wearing away at the silicone, causing it to degrade, break down, collect dirt, and sometimes, grow mould.

A more modern and sanitary way to fasten the shower screens to their base is to use wall channels.

Wall Channels vs Brackets

The idea of using wall channels or brackets and silicone to install shower screens is to have a frameless shower.

However, because the glass needs to fasten to the walls, floor, and possibly the ceiling at some point, even with brackets or wall channels, there is still a partial frame, usually made of brackets or wall channels.

So, what’s the difference between using brackets and silicone or using a wall channel?

Brackets are small clips that are installed at intervals along the wall, floor, or ceiling. They attach to the base and the glass shower screen slides inside.

Because they are only installed at certain intervals, they leave a gap between the edge of the glass and the floor, wall, or ceiling, which needs to be filled with silicone to prevent water leakage.

Brackets are spread out along the screen, so they don’t offer as much support as a wall channel.

Wall Channels, on the other hand, are longer.

They cover the entire side of the shower screen and attach to the wall, ceiling, or floor at intervals.

The shower tile can go right up to the edge of the wall channel, leaving little or no exposed silicone.

Because channels cover the entire length of the shower screen, they offer more support than brackets.

Why are wall channels a better option than using exposed silicone and brackets?

Wall Channels Are More Aesthetically Pleasing

In Melbourne, opinions may vary on this one, but a wall that covers the entire edge of a shower screen will blend in better, thus adding to the appearance of a frameless shower.

Because there is little to no exposed silicone when installing a wall channel, it’s much less likely that mould or dirt will accumulate, thus adding to the appearance of a clean, beautiful shower.

Less silicone is easier to clean and maintain

Because silicone breaks down so quickly, allowing water to remain inside, it’s a perfect habitat for mould to grow.

Not only does mould begin to smell, but it looks dirty.

Once the silicone begins to break down and the mould and dirt inside, it’s nearly impossible to clean and it’ll need to be eventually replace.

Wall Channels Last Longer

Although at first, silicone is an effective sealant, running shower water will wear it away over time.

As the silicone degrades and breaks down, water, dirt, and debris become trapped inside, and speed up the process. From the outside, after a while, the silicone will no longer appear clear or white, but dark and dirty.

At this point, it’s no longer effectively sealing the shower, you may notice leaks, and the silicone needs to replace.

Wall channels, on the other hand, don’t have exposed silicone, just metal, and tile.

These materials are much more resistant to constant water and will hold up against the regular flow of water for a much longer time.

Any silicone sealant that uses in the installation of wall channel cover, minimizing its exposure to water and protecting it from degradation and the growth of mould.

The best glass shower screens in the Western Suburbs of Melbourne achieve a balance between the practical. And the aesthetically pleasing.

The shower screen must be structurally strong and sound, but at the same time, crystal clear, fluid, and natural extension of the shower area, and with no overly conspicuous reinforcements or unseemly abutments.

Is it possible to achieve this in your shower screen installation, particularly with more ornate or sophisticated designs?

With corner glass shelving braces add shower screen installation, the answer to this question is a resounding yes!

Strengthening Glass Shower Screens

Traditionally, over panels have been used to provide additional strength to glass shower screens.

However, this has been shown to be ineffectual in terms of adding real integrity and rigidity in some circumstances – and can spoil the overall aesthetic of the shower screen installation.

Instead, use glass shelving that meets Australian standards to provide extra support and give you peace of mind in terms of safety.

How Glass Shelving Can Be Used in Shower Screen Installation

Glass corner shelves succeed in strengthening the glass shower screen by acting as a brace.

The appearance is one of a simple glass shelf with no obvious supports, so the overall effect of the glass shower screen is preserved.

As well as a more practical, rigid, stronger, and therefore safer, shower screen, you have a shelf to conveniently store your toiletries. Corner glass shelves are suitable for all types of fixed-panel shower screens.

Fixing Glass Shelving to Your Shower Screen

Reinforced glass corner shelves fix to the wall with silicon or shower screen glass support brackets or both.

The brackets made from brass with chrome plating so they are durable, made to last for years. And aesthetically pleasing as well. Shower screen glass support brackets can support glass shelves that range in thickness from between 8 mm to 10 mm.

However, the most popular preference is to use silicone without brackets, providing a seamless and strong finish.

The Advantages of Using Shelving Braces

In the event that the support brackets become damaged, they are easy and cheap to replace. Glass shelving braces are a straightforward, practical solution when it comes to shower screen installation.

As well as strengthening your screen, they look great and offer valuable storage space for your shampoos and shower gels. The result is a stronger, safer shower screen and a beautiful shower enclosure that is stylish, functional, and easy to keep clean.

In glass repair melbourne our daily lives, we come across glasswork everywhere we go from offices to shopping centers to homes, and even when we choose to stay indoors we cannot avoid coming across it or using it.It however does have to handle with great care as a small mishandling can have severe consequences to the extent of one being handicapped or bedridden; especially with small children where parents need to be even more careful from handling glass. Glass has unique properties which allow it to mold in any form or shape. As you can appreciate it is omnipresent starting from your house where we have windows, doors, shower doors, mirrors, tabletops, and glass utensils, to your office and places you would frequent for example shopping centers, schools, and community centres, storefronts, display cases in malls, skylights, vehicles, mirrors just to mention but a few.

We would admire high-rise buildings with beautiful sparkling shining glass facades. And windows well fitted into the overall scheme of things making it all the more appreciable. We definitely ought to appreciate too the people behind this appreciation and the work of art on the glass; The Glazier. A Glazier a person who specializes in glass from scoping, selection, meticulous planning, cutting, installing, and removing the glass and other materials that may substitute glass e.g. plastic. A profession that has a high-risk profile associated with it given they play with glass all the time and the risk of being cut by glass or other operational injuries that may cause during jobs definitely deserves to be praiseworthy and respectful like all other jobs.

A role of a Glazier may vary by the nature of glass applications. For example, a glazier who would work in fitting glass in motor vehicles, safety glass in aircraft. Or another type of glazier who works in the furniture industry on mirrors, and glass tables. Or the most common of all who works on residential and commercial windows and doors
What exactly does a glazier do?

A glazier’s typical day would start with laying down the specifications which would determine the size, color, thickness. And type of glass that will use for different purposes. They would cut glass into different shapes and sizes depending on the requirements so that it fits in perfectly.
They would be traveling on-site to replace broken glass and in doing. So, they would ensure the safe removal of the previous broken glass and then put another in place.
For larger residential and commercial projects. They would make metal moulds that would house the glass bringing solidarity and firmness to the overall frame. Adding a weather seal is critical around panels to ensure no gaps exist between glass and other surfaces. The next steps would include fitting and fastening glass into the frames with moldings ensuring they can withstand any force.
At construction sites, glaziers would be the lifting of heavy glass that already molded and pre-cut. And would perform installation of the same, where glass not secure. They attach frames to the building and then fasten it.

In order to be a professional Glazier, you need to have a good balance, great eye coordination, time management skills, physical stamina, and endurance as they need to be accurate in their cutting and careful enough not to break the glass.

It is natural for people to lose interest in the things they find common and ordinary, more likely in the things they see every day—like glass. Today, glass can see almost everywhere; windows, eyeglasses, mirrors, cups, etc. It became boring that we tend to overlook the things beyond it that made it an art form by itself.

Back in the day, glass was used to symbolize power, wealth, and sophistication. Remember Cinderella? She stood out because she was the only one wearing glass slippers. But today, that is not the case.

With these five facts about glass, we will try to make you look at the glass like you’ve never seen one before. Glass embedded with human history, ever-changing its forms, composition, and style to fit with what the world needs it to be.

1. Did you know that the first manmade glass coexisted with the Pharaohs?

Important facts about glass, The first real evidence of manufactured glass was dated to 3000 BC, in Egypt. The Mesopotamian empire depended on Egypt and Syria when it comes to glass production, hence, they we consider the hubs of glassmaking in ancient times.

2. Glass can be made without the presence of humans.

Facts about glass, Glass is a product of nature. Even before the ancient inhabitants of the world knew what glass is, the earth was already making it. When lightning strikes sand, the heat produced by the electricity fuses with the sand and long, slender glass tubes produce. These byproducts call ‘fulgurites’.

Also, glass can make without the efforts of us humans when the intense heat of a volcanic eruption combines with rocks and sand. It produces another kind of glass called ‘obsidian’. In earlier time periods, people learned to form obsidians into different shapes, making prehistoric knives, arrowheads, spearheads, jewelry, and even money.

how to clean shower glass

Image from Libreshot

3. The Romans were the first to use glass for windows.

Back in 100 CE, the Romans initiated the idea of putting glass on their window openings. But it was until 1,500 years later that doing so became common and conventional in ordinary houses in England.

4. Back in the 1850s, glass bottles and flasks were for whiskey.

During the Victorian Era, glass bottles and flasks we intrinsically made as a container for whiskey. These we called ‘flint glass, which characterizes as the better form of glass because of its notable difference in terms of clarity compared to the normal type.

It calls “flint glass” because of the added ingredient: flint powder.

5. Glass doesn’t lose its quality no matter how many times you recycle it.

Glass can recycle infinitely, and unlike many other things, it doesn’t decrease its quality and every recycled glass can mistake for brand new.

In facts about glass today, glass recycling is beginning to gain popularity in Australia as a way of reducing waste production. Aside from that, glass recycling could be a big help in saving energy. The temperature needed during glass recycling is much lesser than the energy needed when producing new ones.

photo credit: A Shard via photopin (license)

Have you ever wondered what happens to the broken glass that removes from people’s homes or the wastage left over when cutting a sheet of glass? Think about glass bottles and jars that you would have carefully washed and recycled. This infographic looks at the journey of glass, from when it is first placed in a Melbourne recycling bin to what happens on the recycling journey. It estimates that about 90% of such glass will recycle into bottles, jars, and all sorts of interesting products from match tips to tiles and countertops.

SOURCE: Economy Glass

Did you know that windows with high concentrations of rental properties tend to break more often? This is because such neighborhoods are typically located near college campuses and nightlife destinations. These residences consider areas with relatively high rates of property crime. As a matter of fact, broken windows are often caused by drunken vandals or disputants who get agitated or violent.

Broken Glass Insurance Claim- Replacing a broken window is a relatively common repair. These are just windows– unnoticeable in your everyday life. However, the cost of repairing and replacing a broken window can be expensive. The total cost of a broken window can easily exceed $500. This prompts many homeowners to contemplate making claims against their homeowners’ insurance policies to secure window replacement costs.

The insurance provider will often assess the amount of damage based on the window’s glass, frame, and surrounding structure. How the window breaks will be the insurance provider’s primary focus. For an instance, there an additional cost for cleaning up the affected carpets, floors, and furniture if the window shatters into the house. Any injuries associated with the broken glass will evidently inflate the broken window’s costs by an order of magnitude.

If one of the windows in your home has been broken in the past, it is necessary to ask your insurance provider whether your window’s cleanup and repair costs will covered by your policy. This is because such an incident may repeat itself.

In insurance, there are open-peril policies and named-risk policies. Open-peril policies cover any cause not specifically excluded from your policy while named-risk policies only provide coverage for causes listed in your policy.

Generally, every homeowner’s insurance policy covers certain “acts of God”. These “acts of God” refer to storm-related wind damage, flying debris, and other unforeseeable occurrences. Furthermore, most insurance policies cover random human-generated incidents. Therefore, if an out-of-control vehicle drives through the first floor of a house and breaks its window. A client does not need to personally pay for the repairs.

On the other hand, there a big probability that an insurance policy will not cover broken windows arising from your own negligence. Failure to cull a tree limb that strays too close to your window makes you liable for any caused damage. The insurance providers will also refuse to cover cleanup and repair costs on any window that broken from the inside of your home.

It is noteworthy to remember that many rental owners’ insurance policies do not cover the cost of non-structural repairs like rental properties. Consequently, the landlord’s insurance company could deny any claim on the property. This is when the landlord would ask a tenant to cover the cost of the damaged window in his room. If the tenant deems this request to be unfair, he or she may need to bring a small-claims court case against the landlord or withhold rent payments until the situation resolved.

Despite all the hassles of maintaining and replacing windows. It is necessary to do so since windows aid the ventilation of the house. It is good to choose the best company for window repairs so that, with or without a grant of a broken glass insurance claim, the quality of window repairs will not be compromised.

Mineral Staining consists of milky white spot stains that appear on the surface of the glass. This chemical reaction is brought about by the build-up of different minerals and alkaline in water. These are water-borne chemicals that may often leave permanent stains on glass surfaces.

printed glass splashbacks melbourne Mineral stains are very difficult to remove but can easily be prevented by immediately drying or wiping off the droplets or water, especially those that remain near the glass shower doors and around the sinks or faucets.

Different chemical reactions cause mineral staining such as:

Hard water can precipitate lime and scum deposits on glass surfaces, glassware, fiberglass, porcelain, stainless steel, tile, and enamel; among others. You can prevent this from happening by installing a water treatment system. More so, hard water when in contact with soaps or other minerals can increase staining. Or scaling formation in sinks and bathroom fixtures.
Magnesium and calcium content in hard water can also trigger limescale. Or hard film build-up that creeps on kitchen and bathroom fixtures as well as equipment. That most often exposed to water.
Metallic stains may also appear when your glass surfaces come in contact with manganese and iron that leave blackish or brownish stains.
Acidic water can cause corrosive damage to fixtures and plumbing.
Copper and brass fittings can leave green and blue stains on your plumbing fixtures.

Here are some tried-and-tested tips on cleaning up or removing mineral stains on glass surfaces:

Simply wiping or drying up shower doors after use can remove streaky white stains etched on glassware.
Install water softening equipment to avoid the harsh effects of hard water on your fixtures.
The use of cleaning solutions with sequestrants like Calgon has proven effective in the reduction of staining properties as it deactivates the mineral components in water that can cause staining.
Acidic cleaners like lemon juice, oxalic acid, white vinegar, and sulphuric and hydrochloric acids effective in removing iron rust stains and eliminating discoloration. Cream of tartar which considers a mild acid can mix with water to fight off stains.
Chlorine bleach can also use to remove stains but must not leave on fixtures for prolonged periods to prevent dulling of surfaces, especially in porcelain.
All-purpose cleaners or nonabrasive types of cleaners are good for regular clean-ups. These are safe to use and do not leave scratches on the surface. Even when the solution left on the surface for long periods of time.

Keeping your glass surfaces and equipment in mint condition can be a lot of work especially. If you have no extra hands to help you out in managing a home. Prevention is certainly way better than cure –even when keeping your glass fixtures in sparkling condition.

In this case, cleaning up excess water in spaces prone to rusting or staining certainly pays off in the end. You can prevent permanent staining on your bathroom and kitchen fixtures by making sure that you have the right cleaners at hand and that you are able to effectively clean and wipe as you go about your daily grind.

Image courtesy of Pixabay

In order to obtain your quotation quickly and efficiently, there’s just a few steps of information we need to gather from you. One of our employee’s will ask you the following questions:

Where are you located ?
Suburb, address, etc

What is broken or what do you require to be repaired?
By this we mean is it a window or a door. We will then ask further questions to better determine exactly
what it is you require.

Can you give the location in the home of where this product is?
e.g. Bedroom, laundry

Do you have any approx measurements?
We require approx measurements to give you a quote

Is it a timber or an aluminum frame? (window Specific)
This helps us determine the glass thickness required

Is it an opening or a fixed panel? (window Specific)
If it’s a fixed panel, is it within 1 metre off the floor? If it’s an opening window, how does it open? hinged at the side or top, sliding etc

Is the glass shattered / exploded into hundreds of tiny pieces (Toughened glass) (window specific) Does it have a spider-web effect through the glass (Laminated glass) (window Specific)
or is it simply just in big cracks and pieces that’s dangling or has fallen out (Standard Glass) (Window Specific)

For Broken Windows and Doors
If you cannot provide many answers to the above, it makes it extremely difficult to produce a quotation.

Please follow the guidelines below for more products that require a quotation

Splashbacks

The number of panels required
Approx dimensions of each panel
Number of powerpoint cutouts
Number of notches, holes or cutouts
General colour – This helps us determine the best glass option.

Showerscreens

Preferred height
Width
Depth
Intended style – Please see https://economyglass.com.au/products-and-services/ for our options

Mirrors

Location and purpose
Height and width
Will the edge of the mirror be visible once installed? This determines if your mirror requires polished edges or not

Tabletops

Height
Width
Colour preference
Is the table supported all the way underneath?
Is delivery required?

Balustrades and Pool Fencing

Total lineal meters ?
Lineal metres in each run?
Style – Frameless, semi frameless, fully framed?
Fixing method – Spigots, posts, Channel, stand offs etc
Fixing substrate – What will be be securing to? timber deck, concrete decking, tiles, Pool Channel etc
Number of gates required?

All of our quotes over the phone are subject to a final site survey to determine the best product for you. This ensures that all glass and glazing requirements comply with Australian standards

The products above undergo an accurate site measure so although measurements don’t need to be perfect, they do need to be accurate in order for us to supply an accurate quotation.

If you have any questions or ideas you require help or guidance with, please submit an email to sales@economyglass.com.au

Thanks for reading and we look forward to working with you in the near future ????

Image courtesy of Shutterstock

Beyond the safety features, laminated glass is also utilized to enhance a window’s sound insulation rating and block most ultraviolet radiation.

Laminated glass has a long history of applications. Despite it, many are concerned about its issues with de-lamination, a reduction in the adhesive that bonds the glass panes and the inter-layer together.

Where Does It Occur?

De-lamination, otherwise known as edge or inter-layer staining, is a phenomenon that typically occurs around fixing or at the edge of the glass pane. This staining usually most pervasive in safety glass panes where an inter-layer called Poly-vinyl Butyral (PVB) is used.

What Causes Laminated Safety Glass to De-laminate?

1. Excessive moisture

De-lamination is most prevalent during humid weather. That’s because PVB absorbs moisture. Thus, when the panes constantly exposed to warm and moist environments, the adhesive between the film and the glass loses its bond and the glass begins to de-laminate over time.

To prevent excessive moisture buildup, allow the edge of the inter-layer to breathe. During installation, make sure that the edges well-ventilated so that moisture won’t trickle down to the inter-layer and the adhesive.

2. Compatibility Issues

Often, the problem lies in the structural silicone or gasket that was use to bond the panes and inter-layer. If it is not compatible with the interlayer of the laminated glass, de-lamination could occur more rapidly.

If you’re in the market looking for laminated glass, consider manufacturers who offer information pertaining to product compatibility to ensure that the interlayer and the gaskets used in the glass are compatible.

3. Mismatched Glass Plies

Like toughened glass, heat-strengthened laminated glass usually exhibits barely visible distortions or waves, which caused by the rollers during manufacturing. When the glass plies do not have a matching distortion, trough to trough and peak to peak. It places stress on the interlayer of the laminated glass, which could lead to de-lamination.

In this light, manufacturers must have a stricter quality control procedure to prevent mismatched plies.

4. Poor Installation

As mentioned, the installation plays a critical role in moisture build-up between the panes. Without ventilation during the installation process, moisture could accumulate and cause the laminated glass to de-laminate.

Apart from that, the residue from the primers and cleaners that we use to prepare the glass prior to bonding with its structural silicone could deteriorate the adhesives, thereby contributing to de-lamination.

To ensure that contaminants do not come in direct contact with the inter-layer, the inter-layer of the laminated glass is not compressed by the fitting or the frame as this may cause voids, whereas contaminants can accumulate.